Internal-combustion engine



Dec. 30,1930. N. A. B. oDoM INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed July 6, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 w. a W. w

A ttorney 35 with this invention;

Patented Dec. 30, 1930 form-E .mcnom s A,is,ononlorsnnnnronro, TEXASF i i mrEnNAL-eoMBus'rIon meme Application filed July 6; 1929." Serial No; 376,447.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines, particularly thosev of the rotary valve type fandu has asfits principal obfject-the provision o-fcertainnewand use 1 ful'improvements in the construction'of the rotary valve, which will be simplein action, easy to manufacture; and whereby through therotation of :the valve, a whirlwind motion will be-it'npar'ted to the incoming fuel 10 for distribution to the various cylindersand the burnt or exhaust gases delivered therefrom with the same whirlwind motion, thus greatly enhancing a valve of this type.

Another very, important object of the invention is to provide a rotary valve of the type. described, whereby the heat from I the exhaust together with the whirlingimo; c

tion Wlll evaporate the fuel, thus eliminating raw' fuel from; entering the combustion zochamber, the advantage of whichwill producea saving in fuel with an increase-in power, higher speed and ;in many other ways prove advantageous over other known valves of this type.

.2 WVith the above and nuimerous other objects in view, as;willbecome apparent during-a study of the following-description,

taken in connection with the; accompanying drawlngs, thelnvention conslsts n' a. novel :construction, arrangement and operation hereinto be described morev in detail.v In the drawings: a

H .-Figure- 1 is an end view of an internal combustion engine constructed in accordance 3 Figure 2c is a fragmentary view partly in esection and partly. in elevation of anin-- ternal combustion engine constructed accordance with this nvention;

. 40 V Figure 3; 1s a vfragnn'entary longitudinal vertical section taken through the rotary valve constructed in accordance with this nvention.

Figure 4 is a tress sectional view through 4 the rotary valve and'one of the cylinders-at the port from said cylinder showing the same opening into the'exhaust passage-of the rotary valve.

' In :the drawlngs, I have illustrated in conventional form the upper portion of an eight pistons'6 are adapted to reciprocate, having piston rods 7 connected in the usual manner a with a conventional crank shaft 8. As il1us- 5 5 tratedthe cylinders 5 are of the conventional double walltype, so as to provide the suit-1 able water jacketl9. 1

' In carrying out the present invention, I employ a multiple cylinder head designated generally as at A, said cylinder head being common to all of the ,cylinders5, the said cylinder. head being suitably water jacketed as at 10. V c

The valve casing 11 constitutes a semicylindrical wall which extends throughout the entire length of the multiple cylinder head and is formed integrally with the cylinder wall, the said casing being provided at the outer endof thecomb'ustion chamber of'each of theYcylinders-fi and forms therewith a "single port 11, which constitutes a'single intake port or exhaust port.

As illustratedtheheadAis formed inte- 'VVith in the valve casing the rotary valve is fittedfsaid valve comprising an outer wall 13 and an inner wall -or sleevel4e and an end wall 15. The inner and outer walls 13 and so 14; are united at intervals by vertical walls 1616, constituting a port in the rotary valve through its walls through the inner or exhaust passages 17. Thus is provided a plurality of receiving or collecting ports 18, as clearly shown to advantage in Figureet. Intermediate its ends, the outer shell isprovidedwitha suitable intake port, or as to be hereinafter termed a supply port 19.

The port 19w'ill of course have suitable connection with the carburetor whereby it will be seen that the gas drawn intothe rotaryavalve will flow therethrough toward the 7' right'and toward thevleft end of the valve between the inner and outer walls thereof as will'beclearfrom a studyfof Figures 2 and 3. a The outer wall 13 of the valveis also proport 11 during the rotation of the valve so as to-be timed properly for the operation of the. respective cylinders and proportional to the exhaust ports 18.

On the inner face of the outer wall 13 there is provided a plurality of spiral ribs or veins 21 and ias' il'lustrai-ed the .:vei;nsin.- the rotary valve *sections denoted generallyfby theere ference character F are in a line of direction corresponding to tl1e dire ction of flow of the incoming fuel, while' imthe secti'on'fE ofthe rotary valve, the same formedtherein.are;

in a line of direction opposite to" the veins in the first mentioned sectiou and,consea qlpently in line with the direction of flow of V t 'atfpartiof:theefuelidireetedinto said-sec.-

tions. In operatien', then; it will -scene-that during the. rotation iof ithee rot-airy valve; a

sing gle-v intaket-passageswj .tO" -bl8 directed; into the irrespective sectionsiE andE t-o' fi W-flIBTB+ through inaa whirling motion asiwillxbeaefiecb ed through the medium4of3.tlie-veins*2'1, the

supply port Qtkcomingjnto TQgiStQIiWitll "the prope-ricylinder 5toi admit a'ijsupply-of fuel into the interior of the? said: cylinder 'upon tlifefdownward: brzsuction stroke: ofithepiston therein, while further? rotation of i the-valve closes the port 11, maintaining the same close-d; duringcthecompression and firing ol' the ichargea'soi drawminfu nel'er. the usual actu 7 ationof" the upward and downwardirecipro-iv cation of the respectiv' -piston,.-whereupo:n the exhaustport' 18-is brought ;into register withithe'saidporti11, toioondu'ct' tliexe xhaust gases into the :exhausttpassage 17' to be discharged -from' said passage .17 at JOH end 01 the valve through the'eixhaustior' ontletziporti 23. The: said ports 23 are formed acommuni eating: with the: atmosphere or. with: a' suitpower toiescape: To overcome this-:defect,

I" provide each of the ports :11 with suitable sleeve rings 24, disposed about andecarried by. suitableasleeves::25.=located fwithin the re sp'ec-tiverports. 11, as :ShQWIl" to Padvantage; in Figure-14; I Y I 7 These sleeves:25i: are? disposed within" the respectiverportssll so as .to besslidab'le therein,

- so that 011 compression and' -p'ower strokes,

the core force's the sleeves up against the rotary valve as will be apparent; I It is to be noted that at-the' upper 'periphery; the -rings 25 are; so formed 1 asto provide a suitable seatfor the rotary valve, havingthe up- 'wardlyinclined laterally flange like portions 26, against the under face of which springs 27 suitably arranged about the ports and ring are set, for opening the ring against the a rotary valve, for urging the sleeve up against the rotary valve. This ofcourse will pervent-.-any loss' of power, since: the sleeve, owingto thep-ressure fr'omthe fiylinder chamv.vber being urged against the rotary valve, the chance of any leakage occurring when the rotary-"valve'isfat"a"position' closing the port 1l:-is negligible.- At that position the valve "would','of course, be urged up against the upperiportion oflthecasing of the rotary valve, as it is the position of compression or power stroke-ofthe'pistons: i .7

. 3 The spiral ribs orveins 21, besides, provid= ing an improved: means of feeding the incominggases or fuel through: the :respective cylinders will also have. a tendency-to keep air-even amount of fuel at each port atthe same-time, thus giving: albetterr mixture and at t-lie -sametime will tend'ito :coolithe' valve owingto the cold" air and fueliromrthe carburetorfpassing from vein to veinduring its 1 flow through the rotary-valve. These veins also make-for a stronger rotaryvalve,eguarding against-- warping of the valve and similar other" defects apt to -occur during user.

Af-valvep ofthis type will be further-Tern dered rn'ore desirablein viewoffits 31186? with a" sleeve port as is constituted through the medium of the sleeve :25and1about its parts,

the same allowin'g' the rotary valve 1 a loose working fit'eliminating friction and overheating; Such construction will, of necessity,'permit "of proper lubrication;

Atthe' closed' end of the valve there: is provided a suitable arm member 27, suitablyfixed to a shaft 28', suitably'journa'led for rotation withinthe engin'e casingas illustrated: Upon said shaft- 28k mounted -awheel 29; whereby the driving of the rotaryvalve may be accomplishedthrough the medium of a silent chain 30, passing around the wheel 29 and also around a second wheelf3'1, on the-crank shaft 8.

From theforegoing-then, it Will be seen 7 that I have provided" a suitablerotaryyalve for internal combustion engines, the; latter comprising any number of 'cylinders'and with which the said valve (may be? associated with ready adaptability; V f

g It will be also seen that such a valve as herein described'and illustrated may be main ufa ctured and: maintained. at ,a relatively small cost, is simple in construction, .dnrable,

thoroughly reliable, practical, ,elficient and otherwise well adaptedv for I the purpose for which it -rwasrdesigned.-"

- Iteis also :to: beunderstood-thahthe embodiment of the invention as herein illustrated is? merelyby way of'texemplification, since in actual practice; ther invention susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the same and the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:- i';

1. In an internal combustlon engine, a hollow rotary tubular valve closed at oneend and opened at its opposite end for communication with the atmosphere, said valve comprising spaced inner 'and outer concentric walls, the space between said walls constituting a longitudinally extending intake gas passage closed at oppositeends of the valve, the

outer wall of said valve being'provided with an annular intake port intermediate the ends of the valve for communication with said passage, said outer wall being further provided with an exhaust port for each cylinder of the internal combustion engine, said inner walls being provided with an exhaustrport for each cylinder, said exhaust port extending through said passage and opening outwardly of said outerwall forcommunication with the cylinders, a spiral rib formed on the inner faceof said outer wallextending from one side of saidsingle intake port to one closed end of said passage, a second spiral rib extending from the other side of said single intake port to the other closed end of said passage, said spiral ribs having their outer edges in spaced relation to said inner wall of the valve.

ends of the valve for communication with said passage, said outer wall being further provided with an exhaust port for each cylinder of the internal combustion engine, said inner walls being provided with an exhaust outwardly of said outer wall for communiport foreach cylinder, said exhaust port extending through said passage and opening cation with the cylinders, a spiral rib formed on the inner face of said outer .wall extending from one side of said single intake port to one closed end of said passage, a second spiral rib extending from the other side of said single intake port to the other closed end of said passage, said spiral ribs having their outer edges in spaced relation to said inner wall of the valve, said rib spiralling in'the direction of flow of the incoming gas toward the opposite closed end of said passage for directing the gas in a whirling manner toward the respective supply port.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

NICHOLAS A. B. ODOM. 

